The Holy Sojourn Chapter 5
Previous Chapter: The Holy Sojourn Chapter 4 Next Chapter: The Holy Sojourn Chapter 6 I Má Tenta “And we lived in the halls of Unquala for three years; we garnered love of Elven servants and grew strong in the watch of Her halls. The time approached that Avra must die; and he took myself and Unquala to him and said unto us, “let now the Darkness take me, for I have seen the grace of gods. I wish now to remain here, buried with Death Herself, for whom but my lord knows of what is beyond our mortal bonds? Take me now to the deep places, the burial halls, that my body may rest there for all time.” Avra was not long for death, and as he was moved to the chambers, so too did his Soul leave him, and Avra was no more. Unquala took me then to the burial halls, after we had allowed Avra’s body the proper ceremonies; we walked below the pillars of her throne, where darkness dwelt and peace abided. “My lord,” I said unto her, “it is dark, and I cannot see. Mine eyes require torch light; where hath you lay them?” “You shall light no torch here, Son of Darkness” Unquala said to me, “for to make bright the resting places of the Dead is to invite their spirits to anger. Darkness is where the Dead make peace and forget their pains in life; to bring light to their domain is to awaken them. Fire, certainly, is most abhorred and will be met with swift acrimony.” “What of fire makes the dead rouse, my liege?” Unquala smiled upon me, glad of my curiousity, and spoke thus: “Remember My words, son of Darkness. To awaken the dead With the light of the living Invokes the horrors that I cannot restrain. The dead make the beds to lay upon So from their eyes they may see the light of Jerua Beyond the Veil’s deep wall. But should their eyes be spoiled by light From within their home where strangers invade, Or taken from their homes where light abides in splendor, The way to Jerua will be lost to them and Anger shall boil.” Unquala made for her neck and brought unto me a singled chain. Wrought upon its face was the symbol of a nation yet unfounded, one whose name was forbidden to say until the appointed time. Unquala swore me to secrecy for she said it was only by her lips that this place would first be spoken, and she said to wait for the years of her return. These are things lost to me. Unquala then took to me to her side and made again for the sacred places of her cities. Then she said, “Take heed that those who wait in death but are bound to life by chains of vex or sin or duty are most of all in power their own. Most of all in power are those who wait for the call of the Godswalk, where tests true will fulfill their duties. Not all those bound to this world are evil, and it is true that the greatest among them is pure in his duties. So true is he who guards, where the first son of Lloyce waits, at the hidden place where Seven and Five made One and Eight. He is the Skylance, the one who guards the Tomb of the Goth. To disturb him is the greatest call to calamity, but not for good. Nay, it is by his hand that a chosen will fight and release him, beginning the struggles as the Goth is raised and fallen again, but this is for the good. He is my chosen, just as he is the chosen of Us all who gave him his creed. Just as Orrix-Mal chooses in the seas to the west, atop a perch atop the worms, so too will the Skylance choose who leads to Darkness. Keep these thoughts with you, Son of Darkness, for a time may yet come when they are needed. His name is Lloyd, son of Lloyce, Skylance and bearer of immortal bond.”